Filling-feeler mechanism for weft-replenishing looms.



G. E. BENNEH. FILLING FEELER NIECHANISM-FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAII.1I, 1915.

1,202,650. f Pumed OCI. 24,1916.

` j Mawr: 5 (4K/@90M (i v i GEORGE E. BENNER, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

FILLING-FEELER MECHANISM FOB. WEFT'REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

Application led March 11, 1915. Serial No. 13,598

I To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BENNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filling-Feeler Mechanism for Weft-Replenisliing Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in filling feeler mechanism for weft replenishing looms.

When the shuttle enters the shuttle box it is necessary, for the proper operation of the filling feeler mechanism, that the shuttle should come to rest in a given position at the end of each pick. It sometimes happens, however, that the shuttle does not come to rest in its proper place, and at such times the filling feeler mechanism does not properly perform its function. Accordingly, provision has been made to prevent the operation of the filling feeler mechanism when the shuttle is not properly boxed. It has been proposed, however, that provision should be made for compensating for the improperly positioned shuttle and for securing the proper operation of the Filling feeler mechanism Whether' the shuttle always comes to rest in the same position inthe shuttle box ornot.

The object of the present invention, then, is to produce a device which is controlled by the entrance of the shuttle into the shuttle box, to cooperate with the filling feeler mechanism and operatively position it 1n respect to the shuttle. To this end the invention contemplates a lilling feeler mechanism having a feeler member controlled-and op eratively positioned by the position of the shuttie in the shuttle box.

In the accompanying drawing@I illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan of the right-hand end of a lay showing the filling feeler mechanism and its positioning device; Fign is an end elevation of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the filling feeler mechanism in side elevation.

10 in its front wall, and the binder 11 may be of any usual or preferred construction. The device for properly positioning the filling feeler mechanism with relation to the shuttle comprises a cam or feeler guide 13 rigidly and adjustably supported by a positioning rod 1-1 slidingly mounted in brackets 15 and 16 secured to the front of the lay. The positioningy rod 14 is provided with an arm 17 which reaches around the end of the lay and engages the upper end of the outer side of the pickerstaft. A helical spring 18, of which one end takes against one side of the bracket 16 while the other takes against an adjustable collar 19, encircles the rod and tends to hold the armi? against the pickerstad and the pickerstafi' slightly within the outmost limit of its outer throw.

The filling feeler mechanism comprises a filling feeler 20 and a filling feeler control pressed slide 22 supported by the slide box 23 mounted upon the breast beam 24 in the usual manner. The controller 21 is pivotally mounted upon the slide 22 at 26 and is provided with a forwardly extending tongue 2T normally maintained in a raised position by means of aspring pressed pin rThe controller 21 is also provided with an adjustable bunter screw 30 of which the head. 31 is adapted to be struck by the outer sur face of the front wall of the shuttle on the forward beat of the lay when the shuttle has been boxed opposite the filling feelcr -ler 21 which aremounted upon a springmechanism and when the filling has been i exhausted to a predetermined extent. 1When the shuttle strikes the head 31 of the bunter screw 30 the tongue 2l' is depressed and engages the filling replenishment controller 3i?. which projects into the slide box E23 in the usual manner. The filling feeler il() is lat erally movable relatively to the siide 22 and is mounted loosely upon pins 3i secured to the slide. Springs 35 maintain the feeier in extended position toward the left.

When the shuttle is in the shuttle box opposite the filling feeler mechanism, as shown in Fig. l, the feeler guide or cam i3 is adjusted on the positioning rod 14 so that the cainsiirface 37 projects slightly beyond the left-hand end of the slot 10. `Vihen the feeler guide 13 occupies this position, the

filling feeler 20, upon the forward beat ofv i the lay, is engaged by the feeler guide and is properly positioned thereby with respect, to the slot. The forward beat of the lay,

when the shuttle is opposite the filling feeler I mechanism, is termed the filling feeling beat of the lay.

Before the entrance of the shuttle into its box at the right-'hand end of the loom, the feeler guide 13 and piclrerstafi1 7 are some- What to the left of the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the spring 18 tends to maintain them. So that, as the shuttle enters the shuttle box and the point of the shuttle engages the pickercheck, it pushes the check and the rod 14 to the right and comes to a position of rest either at its limit of throw to the right or in an intermediate position. If the shuttle does not enter the shuttle box far enough to reach the pickercheclt, or rebounds therefrom, it Will be engaged by the devices provided for such contingencies in the usual manner. Nowas the 'lay beats forward the feeler guide 13 engages the filling feeler 20 and pushes it to the right so that as the lay continues its for- Ward beat the fillingI feeler, properly positioned by the cam 13 in relation to the slot 10, passes therethrough and engages the filling. So long as a'substantial amount of filling still remains on the bobbin the head 31 of the bunter screw 30 is not struck by the shuttle, but when the filling has been ex hausted to a predetermined extent, the head 31 will be struck by the outside surface of the front shuttle Wall and thereupon the tongue 27 will be depressed and, as the lay continues its forward beat, the weft replenishing controller 32 will be pushed forward to effect weft replenishment.

It Will be observed that the above described mechanism consists of tvvo coperating parts: a filling feeler positioning device of which the operative position is controlled by the shuttle, and a filling feeler mechanism of which the operative position is controlled by the positioning device. This construction insures the proper operation of the filling feeler Whatever may be the position in which the shuttle comes to rest in the shuttle box and compensates for the Wear caused by impact of the point of the shuttle against the pickercheckn ln this connection it should be noted that although the illustrated embodiment of the invention shows the positioning device mounted on the lay and as engaging the filling feeler on its left side, it will be understood. that the positioning device lmay be otherwise mountedy and occupy any location With respect to the filling feeler, so long as it causes it to moved intoproper position with relation to the shuttle.

Considered in its broader aspect, the present invention embraces not only means for properly positioning the feeler mechanism with relation to the shuttle, but also for positioning the shuttle 'with relation to the filling feeler mechanism,

construction 'which serves to position the Accordingly, any

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle box, a shuttle, a breast beam, a filling feeler mechanism mounted on the breast beam, and a device constructed and arranged to be controlled in its operation by the position of' the shuttle in the shuttle-box for positioning the filling feeler mechanism properly With relation to the shuttle. Y

2. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a breast beam, a filling feeler positioning device mounted on the lay having provision by virtue of Which its operative position is controlledby the shuttle, and a filling feeler mechanism mounted on the breast beam having a laterally movable filling feeler controlled by the positioning device.

3. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a breast beam, a picker,

a shuttle box, a shuttle having `a slot in its v ing feeler during filling feeling movement.

4. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination,a lay, a breast beam, a picker, a shuttle box, a shuttle, a filling feeler mechanism mounted on the breast beam, and a device for operatively positioning the filling feeler mechanism comprising a member mounted on the lay and movable relatively thereto controlled as to its position by the picker when the shuttle is in the shuttle box, and a cam surface secured to the member and adapted to be brought into engagement With the filling feeler mechanism.

5. A`filling feeler mechanism for weft replenishing looms, comprising a slide, a laterally movable filling feeler mounted on the slide and adapted to determine the extent to which the filling has been exhausted and a filling feeler controller mounted on the slide, and adapted to contact with the shuttle, said filling feeler and said controller cooperating to effect filling replenishment When the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent.

6. A weft replenishing. loom having, in combination, a lay, a picker, a shuttle, a filling feeler mechanism including a filling feeler controller operatively connected With the filling feeler and adapted to contact with the shuttle, and a filling feeler guide controlled by the picker for determining the operative position of the lilling feeler, said filling feeler, controller and guide coperating to effect filling replenishment when the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent.

7. A. weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay,wa picker, a shuttle box, a shuttle, a breast beam, a weft replenishing filling feeler mechanism mounted on the breast beam comprising a slide, a filling feeler mou'nted on the slide and adapted to determine the extent to which the filling v has been exhausted, a lling feeler controller mounted on the slide `and adapted to contact With the shuttle When they filling has been exhausted to a predetermined lextent to effect filling replenishment, and adevice for controlling the lling feeling operation of the filling feeler comprising a member mounted on and movable longitudinally of the lay and adapted to be controlled operatively in its position by the picker when the shuttle is in the shuttle box, and a cam surface secured to the longitudinally movable member for engaging the filling feeler.

GEORGE E. BENNER. Witnesses:

HORACE VllN EVEREN,

A. ENGLISH.

It is hereby oerted that in Letters Patent No. 1,202,650, granted October 24,

1916, 'u'pon the application of George E. Benner, of Lowell, Massachusetts, for env improvement' in 'Filling-Feeler Mechanism for Weit-Replenishing Looms, an error appears inthe printed peciication requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 15, clairh 7, strike out the worde fweft replenishing; and that the said Letters Potent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the cese in the yPatent Ofice.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of December, A. D., 1916.

[mm] R. F -WHITEHEAD,

Aaing ofPaunu. 

